Mr. Price Pro

ASP 6-Star WQS Mens event
ASP 6-Star WQS Womens event
Ballito, KZN South Africa
29 June - 5 July 2009

Live Coverage  |  Results/Photos/Videos etc

GALE FORCE WINDS AND STORMY SEAS PUT A STOP TO COMPETITION AT THE MR PRICE PRO BALLITO.

Surfersvillage Global Surf News, 28 June, 2009 : - - KwaZulu- Natal, Ballito  – Adverse surf and weather conditions put a hold on the surfing action for yet a second day of competition at the 5 Star Women’s ASP World Qualifying Series Mr Price Pro Ballito, today.

The event was postponed due to extreme surf on Saturday, and got underway in epic 2.5 meter surf at the remote venue of Tinley Manor this morning, that saw the Round of 60 and half the round of 48 completed, before the event was called off due to high winds and stormy seas.

The second cold front’s hit us and the wind was up to 35 knots, said Kwadukuza Municipality Beach Manager and head of water safety for the event Steve Honeyset, “from a safety point of view we couldn’t continue with the event because the winds and the currents were so strong, that the surfers would be swept down the coast, so we had to call it off.

The Women’s Mr Price Pro Ballito was scheduled to be completed today but with the bad weather delaying the final day of competition until Monday, organisers have been forced to look at the possibility of ending this year’s Mr Price Pro Ballito at the Round of 24 due to the number of competing surfers who were scheduled to leave the country on Monday.

“We have four heats left in the Round of 48 and the plan is to run the last four heats in the morning (Monday June 29) which will give us a better result for the girls,” said ASP Operations Manager Colin Fitch. “There’s a chance we may have to end the event with the Round of 24 which will mean the remaining 24 surfers will split the prize-money and ratings points.”

Surfers and officials deliberated over the situation for two and a half hours before the decision was made to postpone the event until Monday morning. “It's not something anyone wants but as surfers we know we only get what the ocean throws at us, it’s not something we can control and this was the only option that we had. It’s not ideal but it’s the only one,” said ASP World Tour surfers representative and World No. 16 Jessi Miley-Dyer (Aus).

Nikita Robb : photo Greg Ewing

Despite the afternoon’s controversy, the morning’s action saw spectacular performances from some of the world’s elite ASP World Tour competitors.

ASP World No. 6 and 2009 WQS champion Sally Fitzgibbons (Aus) emerged as the day’s standout performer scoring the only perfect 9.00 (out of a possible 10.00) for her combination of off the lip cracks, vertical snaps and a power carve.

“I paddled out just as the wind came up and conditions turned cyclonic,” said Fitzgibbons. “ It was tricky to pick the good ones, and although I got one good ride I struggled to find a second. It has been really good to get some waves with this swell that’s come through, it was pumping out there this morning.”

Former ASP World Tour campaigner Nicola Atherton (Aus) unleashed her powerful style on one of the best looking set waves of the day, her top-to-bottom surfing earning her an 8.83 (out of a possible ten) while World No. 16 Rebecca Woods showed her love for Ballito by posting an 8.50 (out of 10.00) for some critical off the lip snaps.

“I’ve surfed Ballito with Tammy-Lee Smith for the last 6 years and I’ve had some of the best waves of my life here,” said Woods. “I think it’s just beautiful, I love it out here.”

Former ASP Australasia Pro Junior Champion Airini Mason (NZ) sniffed out the only barrel ride of the day, threading cleanly in and out of a wave double her size to capture the day’s highest heat total 13.60 (out of 20.00).

The South African contingent received a beating from both Mother Nature and their international rivals with East London’s Nikita Robb, the only advancing South African into the Round of 24.

A total of eight South Africans were eliminated from the event including local favourite Tammy Lee Smith (Ballito) who placed fourth against heat winner Nikita Robb, Jessi Miley Dyer (Aus) and Tanika Hoffman (Cape Town).

Bianca Buitendag (George), Chantelle Rautenbach (Melkbosstrand), Heidi Palmboom (Bluff) and Tarryn Chudleigh (Cape Town) finished equal 25th, while Smith, Alice McGregor (East London) and Michelle Imeson (Scottburgh) placed equal 37th.

Heather Clark (Port Shepstone), Stacey Guy (Melkbosstrand), and Roseanne Hodge (East London) have yet to surf and will all feature in tomorrow’s Round of 48.

Organisers will reconvene at 06h30 tomorrow morning at Surfers Beach in Ballito to access conditions with the possibility of completing the Women’s Round of 48. 

Mid-day Update: No Live scores today

Excellent 3 meter (6ft) surf is on offer at Tinley Manor where the 5 Star Mr Price Pro Ballito is currently underway.
There will be no live scores or webcast due to the event's remote location

WOMEN’S MR PRICE PRO BALLITO UNDERWAY AT TINLEY MANOR

Surfersvillage Global Surf News, 28 June, 2009 : - - KwaZulu- Natal, Ballito  – Conditions have eased overnight to reveal epic two meter (4-6ft) surf groomed by a fresh offshore breeze, that will see the women’s Mr Price Pro Ballito underway at 07h30 at Tinley Manor. Organisers have opted to utilize the remote event venue, 20 minutes North of Ballito, due to favourable conditions.

The first heat in the water will be one heat of local Trials followed by the Women’s Round of 60. Hawaiian junior surfing sensation Carissa Moore, 16, will kick-start this year’s prestigious ASP World Qualifying Series event when she takes on fellow Hawaiian Gabi Cope, Bronwyn Coote (Zaf) in Heat 1.

South African hopefuls Sarah Baum (Warner Beach), Heidi Palmboom (Bluff), Tanika Hoffman (Cape Town), Chantelle Rautenbach (Cape Town) and reigning South African Open Women’s Champion Heather Clark (Port Shepstone) will also feature in the Round of 60.

The 5 Star Mr Price Pro Ballito includes 70 local and international female surfers including 11 of the world’s ‘Top 17’. The top seed is Amee Donohoe (Haw) and the highest rated surfer competing in the event is ASP World No. 3 Paige Hareb (NZ).

Check the Live Coverage

Women’s Trials
Heat 1: Kirsty Delport (Zaf); Faye Zoetmulder (Zaf); Heather Klug (Zaf); Laurie McGregor (Zaf)

Women’s Round of 60
Heat 1: Carissa Moore (Haw); Gabi Cope (Haw); Bronwyn Coote (Zaf)
Het 2: Angela Keighran (Aus); Demi Boelsterli (USA); Chantelle Rautenbach (Zaf); Alice McGregor (Zaf)
Heat 3: Sage Erikson (USA); Dimity Stoyle (Aus); Sarah Baum (Zaf)
Heat 4: Wini Paul (Nzl); Joana Rocha (PRT); Heidi Palmboom (Zaf); Tankia Hoffman (Zaf)
Heat 5: Dara Penfold (Aus); Laura Macaulay (Aus); Heather Clark (Zaf); Canelle Bulard (Reu)
Heat 6: Sayuri Hashimoto (Jpn); Anne-Cecile Le Tallec (Fra); Chantalla Furnaletto (Bra); Johanne Defay (Fra)

Previous reports:
# 1 : Mr Price Pro comes to Ballito on the KwaZulu-Natal coast
# 2 : Record number of women entries at Mr Price Pro Ballito
# 3 : Surfers sight on Ballito for the R1.4 million Mr Price Pro
# 4 : Mr Price Pro Ballito Festival to run along with WQS event 
# 5 : Women prepare for massive swell at Mr Price Pro Ballito
# 6 : Mr Price Pro called of due to dangerous surf conditions

www.mrpricepro.com
www.aspworldtour.com

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Mr Price Group
Pierre Tostee
PATostee@mrpricegroup.com

Issued By
Kirstin Scholtz
kirstin@coveredimages.com

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